Machine for distributing powder over growing plants



G. F. SPROULL MACHINE FOR DISTRIBUTING POWDER OVER GROWING PLANTS Filed Nov. 18, 1920 anvwboz 'George FSprOu l abro/:Maj

Patented Apr. 3, .1923.

unen sTAT-as Geenen r.' sPnoULL, or MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

l MACHINE FOR DISTBIBUTING PQWDER OVER GROWING PLANTS.

Application led lNovember 18, 1920. Serial No. 424,951.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. ISPROULL, a

. citizen of the United States, residing at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery operation, all as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying p drawings which are made a part hereofand-on which similar reference characters indicate similar parte',

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine of the characterm'en-tioned, illustrating my improvements; l f

igure 2, a-topor plan view ofthe same, an

Figure 3 a detail view on the dotted line 3-3 in Figure 1.

In said drawings, the portions marked A represent the frame, B the wheels, and C the hopper.

Ihe frame A is of any appropriate construction to carry and support the various parts of the mechanism. The wheels B are mountedon the axle 10 mounted in bearings on the frame as -is usual. I

,The hopperv C is designed to containjtbe powder which is to be distributed and has 4an agitator 11 therein, a screw conveyor 12 in its bottom and a blower fan 13 mounted in the casing 14 on one side thereof.

To the front portion of the frame A is attached .an-'arched member I composed of parts 15 and 16 connected by a member 17 to which the driving power ymay be attached. Said members 15 and 16 are formed with vertical perforations adjacent to the member 17, through which a post 18 extends, Said post 18 has a caster wheel 19 mounted in a frame' 20 swiveled on the lower end of the post for supporting the front end of the machine. Post 18 is formed with a series of circumferential grooves 21 atl intervals and a latch 22 pivoted on member 15 on a pivot 23 is adapted to engage by `each side of the machine.

means of a bifurcated -end in one of said grooves and hold the frame in adjusted positiontjhereon. A spring 24 interposed between a bracket 25 -and the back. of said latch, tends to normally hold it into engagement with' one ofsaid grooves. A connect-y ing rod 26 connect/s said latch with a lever 27 pivoted at 28 on member 16, and said lever 27 is connected by a connectingrod 29 with a foot lever 30 pivoted at 31 on the rear of the frame. Handles -32 for guiding the machine are pivoted near the front end of the frame on pivots 33 Iand are connected to notched segments 34nby means of pawls 35 operated by levers 36 adjacent to the handles, to which they are connected by connecting rods 37. Said segments 34 are supported at their lower endsv on the rear ends. of the fra-me and at their upper ends by braces 38, asshown.

Nozzles 39 are connected by pipes 40, 41, and 42 to the discharge spout of the blow fan casing 14.

A sprocket wheel 43 is loosely mounted on the axle 10 of the wheels B and connected by a sprocket chain 44 with another sprocket wheel 45 on the counter-shaft 46. A second sprocket wheel 45 on said shaft is in turn connected by another sprocket chain 47 to a sprocket wheel 48- on the blower fan shaft 50. A pinion 51 is mounted on the opposite end' of blower fan shaft v5() and is connected -by a gear 52 with another gear 53 on the shaft of vagitator 11.

In operation, the parts being in the position shown and described and the hopper- C filled with powder for distribution, the machine is driven between the rows of plants, the vdischarge nozzles 39 being directed t0. distribute the powder on a row of plants on As the machine is driven across the field, the powder is thoroughly agitated and 'mixed by the agitator 11 and is conveyedby the conveyor 12 into the blower fan casin 14 and by the blower is discharged throng the pipes and nozzlesy and is distributed over the plants, as will be readily understood. When it is desired to turn the machine, the' operator by means of the foot lever 30, disengages `the latch 22 from the post 18 and by means of the handles 32 tilts-the forward end ofthe frame upward on the wheels` B and axle 10, permittin the post 18 to slide downwardly throng the apertures in the members 15 and 16. When the forward end of the frame has been sufficiently elevated, the foot lever is released and sprin 24 returns latch 22 and locks the parts in t is position. The operatorvthen through levers 36 withdraws pawls 35, lowers the handles 4() on the segments 34 to the desired point, re-engages said handles, and then lifts the machine on the caster wheel 19, turning it free from the lants and thus moves it over to the next ad] acent row of plants without injury or even contact therewith. The parts are again returned to normal position and the machine drawn across part of the field desired and this operation continued until the part of the field infected by insects has been treated.

A clutch 54 is mounted by means of a. spline on axle 10` and adapted to engage with and be disengaged from a similar clutch on the hub of the sprocket Wheel 43. A lever 55 formed with a shiftingfork on its forward-end engages with the groove in the clutch-part for effecting the shifting operation, as -Will be readily understood.

It will be seen that by this construction I provide a machine for the purpose that may be easily guided by the handles notwith, standing it is built narrow. enough to pass between the rows without conta-ct with the plants. The machine can also be turned anywhere in the field without injury to the plants and-this is important as it frequently happens that only a comparativel small portion of al large field of cotton wi l'be in-` fected and the infected patch may be and usually isright in the midst of the field. It is also of advantage for use in a field where there are stumps, as newly cleared ground,-

as by` the construction shown, the machine can be readily manipulated around such stumps without in'ury to the cotton plants.v

comprising a frame, a hopper on the frame, a casingat one side of the hopper, a. shaft extending through the casing and the hopper and having mounted thereon and adapted to beV driven thereby a conveyor and a fan, said shaft also being adapted to drive an agitator in the casing, substantially as set forth.

2; A machine of the character described comprising a frame, a hopper on the frame,

a casing alongside the hopper, a fan in the casing, an agitator in the hopper, a screw conveyor in the hopper below the agitator to convey material from the hopperv to the fan casing, and means for driving the agitator from the conveyor, substantially as set forth. 1

3. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, a hopper on the frame, a casing at one side of the hopper, aI shaft extending through the casing and hopper, a. fan in the casing and a conveyor in the hopper secured to and driven by said shaft, an a itator in the hopper above the conveyor ao driven from said shaft, driving means for the shaft connected to the supporting wheels of the machine, and means for disconnecting said driving means, substantially as set forth. Y

4. A machine of the `character described comprising a frame, a hopper on the frame, parallel shafts extending through the hop'- per, a screw conveyor on the lower shaft., agitating plates for the material in the hopper parallel to the upper shaft and ,secured thereto, and gearing connecting the shafts for driving one from the other, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Washington, D. C., this 21st day'of October, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty.

GEORGE F. sPRoULL. {as} 

